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Anorak News | Watered Down Booze

Watered Down Booze

by | 9th, January 2007

THREE cheers and bottoms up for consumer power.

It is encouraging to know that all those drunken nights out and cans of beer in front of the telly have not been for nought. Your dedication to getting pie-eyed and dead-brained has resulted in a price war on booze.

It is our duty to inform the greater world that lager is now as cheap as water.

In “EAU PRICE LAGER”, the Mirror sees lager on sale in two supermarket chains for 54p a pint.

Before we move on to the alcohol, let us consider this water. Can it be that water is now so pricey? Little wonder there is a need hosepipe bans when by our calculations it can cost £100 or more to water your lawn. Better to pave over the grass and turn your patio into a beer garden – both cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

But reading on we learn the fuller picture. It’s into just any water that is now as cheap as beer, but bottled water. As the Mirror notes, a pint of Fosters lager, when bought in a pallet of 24 cans, is only 5pence dearer than a pint of S. Pellegrino water.

The paper hears the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) brand supermarkets “irresponsible and reckless”. Says Camra’s chief executive Mike Benner: “Cheap drink promotions like this are a major cause of binge drinking.”

John Rogan, MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, tells the Mail: “Supermarkets are abusing their power at some considerable social and economist cost.

Supermarkets deny such claims. A spokesman for Sainsbury’s tells the Star: “We sell beer, wines and spirits at prices that are competitive.”

That’s right. It’s not just bear that’s cheap. It’s the wine and spirits, too.

It’s all part of what the supermarkets call a commitment to sensible drinking.

Although how sensible is it to spend 54p on a bottle of water when you can buy a pint of beer or drink the watery stuff that comes out of the tap..?



Posted: 9th, January 2007 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink